EDIT: A note to Shane - the following are only talking about minarchists who believe in monopoly governments (like eagleeye1975 on youtube). The following DO NOT apply to you, so ignore them.If you don't feel like watching the video, this image sums it up quite nicely:
Explanation:
"
Negative rightsIf I take your stuff, I'm invoking that I have more rights than you. That you do not have the right to the stuff but that I do. Negative rights rejects this. It is egalitarian regarding actions. If something is bad for one (to do), it is bad for all.
Positive rightsI have a right to something. Society owes me. This implies that there is a right to supply this, and also a right to take from others to supply this. Implied is also that it is the state that can take and supply this. If everybody has a right to things and has the right to decide what, and has the right to take it, then you're at pure chaos and might makes right. Suggesting universality to people who believe in positive rights, namely that if it's good to coercively provide X then it should be good for anyone to coercively provide X, is usually quickly rejected. They don't reject the proposition that it's good to coercively provide X but that it should be good for anyone. So they believe in public law different from private law. If I steal from my neighbor and give it to my parents it's theft. If a police man steals from my neighbor and gives it to my parents then it's social welfare."
